Commuting - Singing "dead skunk in the middle of the road"

The Adventure Cycling Association's Bike Bits Vol. 14, No. 10, May 16, 2012 had this story about counting roadkill for iNaturalist.com.

If you're heading out on a road trip yourself this summer -- or even
if you just commute to work by bicycle -- you can help the Adventurers
and Scientists for Conservation collect data on roadkill along our
highways and byways. Cyclists are obviously ideal participants in
such a project, as they see (and smell) much more than do those
travelers encased in fast-moving automobiles. Go to the following
link to learn more:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/05/bike-roadkill-count

With my 100 mile a week commuting I have been very surprised at the amount of road kills I have seen and documented.

Thought it was pretty much a dumb song when it first came out, though I've mellowed over the years, it still hasn't made it on my all time hit list.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuY44PHC0wI

Thank-you for the information. I see a lot of roadkill, mostly squirrels, some turtles. I sometimes wish I could carry something with me just to remove their bodies off the road.

With my 100 mile a week commuting I have been very surprised at the amount of road kills I have seen and documented.

I used to participate in an online roadkill log back in the 90s but it winked out. These days I would want a phone app; snap a pic, upload w/ GPS info, and they should have photo recog software to key it out for you.

I also used to have a Field Guide To Roadkill (w/ photocopies of actual specimens!). That was fun.

There is a free iPhone app but you can't upload the photo. It takes the location off the phone's GPS and has a great map built in to get more detail. You have to mobile sync your observation then go in later and add the photo. I try to get the photo but sometimes traffic makes it to dangerous to stop. I also add sightings when I am in the car. Can't get a photo there either.

I though you meant that the dead skunk was singing. Not sure I'd want to go on record as claiming to witness that.

I saw a very alive skunk by the side of the bike path Sunday night, and I'm glad to say I was able to ride off into the grass and miss him without crashing or getting sprayed.

I saw a very alive skunk by the side of the bike path Sunday night, and I'm glad to say I was able to ride off into the grass and miss him without crashing or getting sprayed.


I had one walk by within a foot and a half of me when I was sitting on the ground in my backyard while working on some yard equipment. Happily for me, it ignored me and kept on walking away.

Nothing worse than Whidbey Island banana slugs.
The things are huge and make the road a slug minefield after it rains.
When you are on a fenderless road bike and run one over you can get a face and mouthful of slug guts which is guaranteed to make you toss your last meal into the ditch.
Please don't ask me to detail how I know this.

Nothing worse than Whidbey Island banana slugs.
The things are huge and make the road a slug minefield after it rains.
When you are on a fenderless road bike and run one over you can get a face and mouthful of slug guts which is guaranteed to make you toss your last meal into the ditch.
Please don't ask me to detail how I know this.

I remember the slugs on Whidbey from a former life. Used to live off of Libby Rd. right next to Fort Ebey about 20 years ago. Never ran over a slug on a bike and I wouldn't want to.

Thought it was pretty much a dumb song when it first came out, though I've mellowed over the years, it still hasn't made it on my all time hit list.It is music like this that makes America great. It separates us from the Europeans, "Ca Plan por moi" not withstanding.

Nothing worse than Whidbey Island banana slugs.
The things are huge and make the road a slug minefield after it rains.
When you are on a fenderless road bike and run one over you can get a face and mouthful of slug guts which is guaranteed to make you toss your last meal into the ditch.
Please don't ask me to detail how I know this.

Ahhh, Slugs and Morton's Salt... providing PNW kids with fun and grossness for hours on end! :p

Good old Loudon Wainwright III!

I had one walk by within a foot and a half of me when I was sitting on the ground in my backyard while working on some yard equipment. Happily for me, it ignored me and kept on walking away.

I don't know if this one ever saw me or not. It seemed pretty content with what it was doing after I realized it wasn't a black poo bag someone left by the bike path.

I don't know if this one ever saw me or not. It seemed pretty content with what it was doing after I realized it wasn't a black poo bag someone left by the bike path.

Out of the corner of my eye, I first thought was that is was some neighbor's black cat, until I recognized the familiar white stripe, I instantly froze and left the area quickly only after the skunk was a safe distance away.

If it wasn't for LW III, we wouldn't have had Weird Al or William Hung.

You make the call.

I remember the slugs on Whidbey from a former life. Used to live off of Libby Rd. right next to Fort Ebey about 20 years ago. Never ran over a slug on a bike and I wouldn't want to.

Hey, if you lived in the little duplex apartments just off SR#20 then we may have been neighbors!

My involuntary feast of raw escargot happened while riding on a warm rainy July morning with a couple of buddies.
Hit a slug as big as a banana. The disgusting creature basically popped and the front wheel slung the whole thing, guts and all, into my face. About half of it flew straight into my mouth.
Hork, hork, hork, firehose puked 3 pancakes and two eggs over easy into the ditch.
My friends were laughing so hard they almost puked too. :D

This whole thing reminds me of an old joke.

What's the difference between a dead skunk and a dead lawyer on the road?

There are skids marks in front of the skunk.